Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army
by Samwise Baggins
Summary: Harry's fifth year of school takes several unforeseen twists and turns, and a joke about an army turns into something deathly serious. AU.
1. Empty Comfort (prologue)

Chapter Title: Empty Comfort

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 00 (prologue) / ?

Rating: M: language, violence, death, and sexual innuendoes

Story Setting: 1995 - 1996: Various locations in England and Scotland

Story Summary: Harry's fifth year of school takes several unforeseen twists and turns and a joke about an army turns into something deathly serious.

Spoiler: Yeah, the entire series of books and movies. There will also be major and minor changes from Book Five on, so that might spoil things, too.

Category: AU: Fantasy, Adventure

Disclaimer: "Harry Potter" is a trademark of J.K. Rowling, and the movies are creations of Warner Brothers. I am in no way connected with these people, and I do not claim ownership to these characters, lands, or names. I have borrowed them to share a story - and most likely not a story any of them would have written had they had the time or no. I am making no money from this, and it is just for my entertainment, and that of free entertainment to a select group of friends. Thank You.

Distribution: Please ask first?

Note: This in an A.U., meaning that alternate situations will happen, as well, alternate characters are introduced. I use the books as a guide, but things will be added and altered. Thank you for your understanding. Enjoy these new additions to a loved tale.

Date Note: Dates in the books are inconsistent, thus we follow the dates in the books as best as possible, ignoring impossible dates (such as September first always falling on a Sunday). We merely go with the flow and agree that J.K. Rowlings' dates must be correct due to magical reasons.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

The table remained littered with the remnants of a large meal, plates, goblets, and cutlery stacked ready for wash up. The end closest to the grand stone fireplace had been cleared of food debris and stood buried under several layers of scrolls: blueprints, missives, and a list that trailed off onto the floor precariously close to the roaring flames. Two men sat in the flickering gloom, arguing in low voices unheard by the tired red-haired woman sorting spoons and forks at the other end of the humungous stone kitchen.

"Impossible," drawled the thin black-robed, greasy-haired man, surreptitiously massaging his left forearm through his sleeve. Severus Snape, potions master for Hogwart's School for witchcraft and Witchery, leaned forward, hand stilling as he continued, "Albus, hiding is hiding for a reason. Exposing . . ."

"I understand your concerns, Severus," Albus Dumbledore, the tall, white-haired headmaster, spoke soothingly in his placid tones. "But the time for hiding is over. Voldemort is on the rise, as you know, and the Order will need every able-bodied wizard and witch available."

Severus curled his lip in disgust, dark-eyes narrowing in his sallow face. "But a child . . ."

Albus nodded. "Yes, and _Harry_ has been brilliant so far." The aged wizard reached out to sooth the younger man but his hand fell uselessly on the hard wooden tabletop as Severus surged to his feet.

"_Harry_?" he spat out the name like a mouthful of poison. "That boy has more luck than wit!" He whirled to stride to the fireplace, left hand sliding into the pocket of his robes, toying with something unseen. Slowly, breathing deeply to steady himself, the man brought himself back under control. "Albus, leave them out of this . . ." pain echoed in Severus' voice. "Too many have suffered . . . too many have . . ." he drew his hand from his pocket, a fist-sized round crystal of darkest blue gripped there. "Too many have died."

Severus looked up at his friend and mentor. "Do not ask this of me . . ."

"I am truly sorry, Severus," the elderly wizard rose slowly to his feet, looking over his half-moon lenses at the anguished younger man. Spreading his hands in an age-old gesture of helplessness, he said "there is no other way."

xxx

To be continued in Chapter One: Recruits and Recalls


	2. Recruits and Recalls

Chapter Title: Recruits and Recalls

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 01 / ?

Chapter Setting: Friday, August 6, 1995: 12 Grimmuld Place, London

Chapter Summary: Harry's first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

Note: My goal is not to restate everything from the books but to add to it and reveal the changes that are made with the new characters and situations.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

Just beyond Arthur Weasley and his son Bill, near the cavernous fireplace in the gloomy rock-walled kitchen, stood a man Harry had never met. Standing perhaps six foot tall with hair as black as Harry's own and eyes a mix of greens, browns, and grays often called hazel, the stranger seemed intent on something in his hands: a small ball of midnight-blue crystal. At Molly Weasley's throat clearing, Arthur turned to greet Harry while Bill quickly tried to stow the parchments they'd been studying, Tonks rushing in from the hall to help and making rather a muddle of things in her eager clumsiness.

Sirius Black's voice piped up from behind Harry, a falsely chipper tone. "Staying for dinner, Johnnie?"

The stranger's head snapped back as if he's been dealt a rather severe blow. He turned a serious look on the wanted man, firelight flashing across a deep scar from his right cheek all the way back to his ear. With great care, he slid the crystal into a pocket of his plain dark robes, a frown settling across his face and making the mutilated half twist almost grotesquely. His voice came as a subdued baritone, as stern as his demeanor. "Please, Sirius. Jon if you _must_ but never . . . Johnnie." Turning at Molly's inquisitive 'hmm?' the man continued, "Actually, I cannot stay. Manda's expecting me. I'm off, but," he turned once more, graceful as a cat, to face Sirius and Harry, his eyes resting on the fifteen year old, "I did want to meet Harry since I will be working with him this term."

"Of course," Sirius grumbled and walked past Harry.

Arthur grinned widely and nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, of course!" The patriarch of the Weasley family turned his smile on Harry. "Harry Potter meet Jonathan Dunraven. He's just come back from the United States to help . . . ah . . . er . . ."

Molly glared at her husband then smiled. "His daughter will be starting at Hogwarts this term. You and Ron and Hermoine can keep an eye on her."

"What!" Ron squeaked, pushing past Harry into the kitchen. "Mum!"

The twins, Fred and George, snickered at Ron's wounded look while Hermione glared at the lanky redhead.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Mum! It's _school_," Ron added.

"We'd love to take care of your daughter, Mr. Dunraven," Hermione jumped to reassure the tall man.

A strange look crossed Jonathan's face, a cross between amusement and concern before he seemed to mentally shrug. "Well, I'm sure her cousin won't let her completely on her own either."

"Uh . . ." Harry interrupted, not quite sure what to say. As everyone turned to him, he flushed and blurted out the first thing he could think of. "Why do you sound British, sir, if you're from America?"

Jonathan nodded as if it were the most sensible question in the world. "Because I have always been British. I lived in the States for fourteen years but in London before that." He bowed at the shoulders formally. "Good evening, everyone." And Jonathan Dunraven left the kitchen followed by Remus Lupin, who showed him to the door.

Sirius turned to the group and reintroduced Harry to a pile of rags, which turned out to be Mundungus Fletcher, the wizard who'd disappeared while guarding Harry allowing two dementors to attack Harry and his cousin, Dudley.

Quickly, controlled chaos ensued while Molly had everyone help prepare dinner followed by a huge and delicious meal. Finally, Molly suggested everyone go off to bed. But this had the opposite effect of ending a rather pleasant evening.

Protests exploded from around the table, the twins trying logic while increasing volume with each new argument; they felt they had a right, as newly legal adults, to listen to any plans the adults might make to thwart any future attacks by their enemy, Voldemort. Sirius added his own voice in loud support for Harry remaining to have his questions answered. Molly grew shriller in protest against any of the teenagers being included, until the cacophony threatened to awaken Mrs. Black's foul portrait in the upstairs hall.

"Arthur! Arthur back me up!" Molly turned to her husband for support.

It did not come.

Finally, Molly managed to herd the youngest teen, her daughter Ginny, alone from the room while the adults and five older teens remained behind. The group talked; the subjects of Harry's reputation, Fudge's fears, and the Order of the Phoenix's efforts at recruitment were all discussed before Sirius said, disgustedly, "Albus has even tried recalling wizards who went abroad during the worst of it."

He looked at Harry, a sneer in his voice. "People like Jon Dunraven, who ran overseas rather than stay and fight."

"Now, that isn't fair, Sirius," Remus said calmly. "He had a family to think about . . . to protect . . ."

Slamming a hand on the table, Sirius flew to his feet and screamed "so did James and Lily! But they didn't turn tail and run. They stayed!"

"And they died," Remus shot back, effectively silencing his old friend.

Pale, shaking, and looking more wounded than he had even after the dementor attack of the previous year, Sirius sank down into his chair.

Harry looked from his godfather to his former professor and back again. Carefully, he asked, "so, if he went overseas to protect his family from Voldemort last time, why'd he come back now?"

Silence met the question for a long while.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Yes, well, Albus asked him to, Harry. Same as a lot of good wizards and witches who escaped . . ." Sirius snorted at the word but Arthur ignored him and went on, "the last time. We're getting responses every week. But Jonathan's a real boon. He's one of the best aurors ever come out of the Ministry."

"An auror?" asked Harry. He wanted to ask why one of the best aurors ran away from a fight his own parents were killed in, but Harry pushed back that question. Instead, he asked "what'd he mean he'd be working with me this term? Is he the new Defense teacher then?"

"Albus hasn't specified," Arthur answered. "Just said Jonathan's to be stationed at Hogwarts for the term. He's placing other recalled wizards in key spots to help defend and recruit, because you can be sure that You-Know-Who will be trying to fill up his own ranks again."

Harry's head began to swim at all of the information, but he continued asking questions, gleaning information about what Voldemort might be doing or even looking for – including a possible weapon.

From the doorway, having entered unnoticed some time before, Molly called "that's enough. Too much more and you might was well make him a full member."

"I'll do it. I _want_ to join!" Harry jumped to his feet, eager to finally be doing _something_.

Fred and George added their voices but Molly managed to shout them down. "No!"

"Why not?" Harry protested and was surprised when the answer came from Remus rather than Molly.

"The Order of the Phoenix only allows full wizards and witches – ones who've reached age _and_ are no longer in school. The dangers involved . . . you have no idea what . . ." He shook his head, sadness in his soulful eyes. "Sirius, Molly's right. That's enough."

The shaggy-haired man gave a disinterested shrug and stared at his fingers, and Molly shepherded the younger people out of the kitchen and up the stairs for bed.

xxx

To be continued in Chapter Two: Accumulated Dirt


	3. Accumulated Dirt

Chapter Title: Accumulated Dirt

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 02 / ?

Chapter Setting: Saturday, August 7, 1995: 12 Grimmuld Place, London

Chapter Summary: Another recall and Sirius is very unhappy.

Note:

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

Cleaning? That was the big job for the Order expected of the teens? Harry frowned as he slowly reached for the open parlor door, listening intently to Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep voice.

"Thought I'd leave a report. And this one's reporting . . ."

A light friendly voice thick with a Scots burr greeted, "Hello, Sirius? Well . . ."

Sirius interrupted, "What the hell!" He didn't sound pleased in the least. "You're supposed to be dead, Stevie!"

"Hurry up, Harry," Molly called and regretfully Harry shut the door blocking further interesting tidbits from the hall.

It wasn't until they broke for lunch that Harry found out just who had given Sirius such an unpleasant surprise.

Molly carried in a plate of sandwiches as Sirius and Harry studied a tapestry of the Black ancestry lines. Behind the flustered redhead walked a medium built man with blond curls, a chubby round face, and intense, vibrant blue eyes. For a moment, Harry thought he was seeing a thinner, smiling version of Uncle Vernon. Blinking several times to clear the nightmarish vision, Harry realized the man in the dove grey jeans and _Twisted Sister_ T-shirt couldn't possibly be his despised uncle . . . too thin, too athletic, and too friendly. Plus, he was dressed like an university student.

"Twisted Sister? What's that?" asked Ron, reaching for a sandwich and shoving more than a quarter of it into his mouth.

With a smile for the gorging redhead, the man replied "a muggle band."

"With a name like that?" asked Ginny, intrigued.

"Yeah. Rumor has it the bassist is a wizard in disguise." The man absently toyed with a grey and blue braided wristband.

"Everyone," Molly interrupted, "this is Stephen James. He'll be staying here for awhile while . . . things get sorted." She frowned softly and offered a sandwich to their newest member.

A low growl next to Harry alerted him to Sirius' dislike of Stephen James. Frowning, turning so only his godfather could hear him, Harry asked "what's wrong?"

"_Stephen James_," Sirius growled out, reminding Harry very much of Snuffles, Sirius' animagus dog half. "Doesn't belong here. Never fought, never bled for the Order. He ran and hid with his tail between his legs and never looked back . . . even for the funerals. Used to follow James and me around like a love-sick puppy, but did he even make a peep when James and Lily and every last Potter was hunted down?" Disgust making Sirius's already careworn face ugly, the older man turned back to study the tapestry intently. "I haven't looked at this thing in years," he changed the subject abruptly.

Harry took his cue from his godfather, unable to resist the bitterness Sirius's words conjured. First Dunraven, the auror who'd fled to the States, and now this Stephen guy, who'd hid while everyone was hunted down and murdered. The Order needed supporters, Harry knew, but what was Albus Dumbledore thinking asking these people to come back? Wouldn't they merely run away like before? Unable to get his mind around the distasteful concept, Harry began asking about the noble lineage of Black.

In the larger group, Hermione studied the unusually dressed blond man with a critical eye. Something about him seemed . . . off, but she couldn't figure out what – unless she counted his obviously youthful attire. Not that it looked bad on him, but Stephen looked to be in his thirties, so why would he dress more like the young Bill Weasley?

With a toss of her mass of bushy hair, the inquisitive girl asked "are you muggle-born, Mr. James?"

"Please, Stephen," the blond said with a grimace. He then offered a smile and let go of the braided wristband he'd been toying with since entering. "No, actually, I'm pureblood. Does that bother you?"

Snickers broke from the twins as Hermione gaped a bit. Gathering herself she said "you're familiar with muggles then?"

Stephen nodded and glanced over at Sirius with a suddenly sad look. "Yeah. Lived among them since I left school. I teach muggle teenagers science and maths."

Green eyes lighting, Ginny leaned forward. "But why wouldn't you be teaching wizarding children?"

"Don't need science?" Stephen asked back then grinned widely. "Actually, I was asked to teach them by a dear friend and promised I would. But now I'm to transfer to a wizarding school to teach. I've been told I'm needed much more there than back in Scotland."

"Hurry up you two," Molly called to Harry and Sirius, effectively cutting into all conversations, "or there'll be nothing left."

With a small frown, Hermione asked "but . . . Stephen . . ." she felt odd using an adult's given name so freely, "if you've lived among muggles since your own schooling, how are you to know the latest improvements and breakthroughs of the wizarding community?"

"Yeah, mate, did they give you time out for good behavior?"

Molly puffed up at George's question, ready to scold the group into a semblance of ignorance to the real reasons Stephen must have been called in, but the man gave her a comforting smile and answered quite simply "Albus has been visiting on holidays to keep me up to date."

"Albus _Dumbledore_," muttered Ron incredulously around a huge bite of sandwich.

"Like you know of another?" Fred asked, giving his little brother a look that fully conveyed what an idiot the older boy felt the younger was being.

"Private holiday lessons with Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked as he and Sirius finally joined the others, taking the last two sandwiches from Molly's tray.

"Stephen's been getting private lessons from Professor Dumbledore so he can come teach at a wizarding school," Fred promptly answered, watching for Sirius' reaction. It hadn't gotten past the twins that there was something between those two.

Carefully Sirius lowered the sandwich he'd just taken a bite from. Swallowing the bread and filling, a look of purest disgust on his face, the dark-haired man ground out "Albus is letting _you_ teach?"

"I'm not too bad," Stephen answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "I've taught muggles for years."

That seemed to be the very wrong thing to say as Sirius slapped down the uneaten portion of his sandwich onto the tray and stiffened indignantly. "I've lost my appetite," he claimed then strode from the room.

Everyone, including Harry, stared after him, stunned, food forgotten. Several long minutes passed and finally Ginny asked "why doesn't he like you, Stephen?"

Even Molly seemed confused and looked to the blond for an answer.

Stephen sighed and began to toy with his wristband once more, fingers playing delicately over the grey and blue flosses. "When I was in school," he began after a very long pause, "I was five years behind him. I followed him and . . ." he swallowed and his vivid eyes slid away, staring at nothing, "James Potter around everywhere. If I got into trouble, James was there to pull me out again . . . my protector if you will." Stephen seemed to slump in on himself.

Harry hung on every word, intent on this new source of information about his parents. Sirius might not approve of the man for hiding from Voldemort, but that didn't stop Stephen from having information Harry desperately wanted.

"When I left school," Stephen continued, "I went to stay with a squib and his family in a very wizard-free town. I had no contact with wizards except Albus Dumbledore." Stephen turned back to the others, raw pain in his eyes. "I guess Sirius blames me for not being here all these years."

Harry opened his mouth to ask about Sirius' words of that morning . . . about Stephen supposedly being dead, but Molly stood abruptly and grabbed the tray.

"Lunch is over. We've got those cabinets to tackle. I'll go hunt . . . uh . . . fetch Sirius and we'll begin." She looked over the group then, probably to prevent questions, she said "Stephen, you come with me . . ."

"But I haven't finished yet," groaned Ron.

Ignoring her youngest son, Molly headed out of the parlor. Stephen nodded mutely and followed at her heels.

Hermione frowned, doing some quick mental arithmetic. "Well, if he's five years behind, it would have made him a second year when Sirius graduated. By the time Stephen got out of school it was too late to help wasn't it?" She turned to Harry.

He reluctantly followed her lead and did the sums in his head. Slowly he said "yeah, you're right. Stephen would have just been out of school when I was born." What Harry kept to himself was the idea that Stephen had an entire year to have helped the Order after school instead of running off to hide among the muggles. Just as soon as he had that thought, Harry realized how unfair it was. His own parents had been hiding when they'd been attacked and murdered. 'So,' a little voice asked inside himself, 'what makes Stephen so guilty of cowardice if your own mum and dad hid too?'

To that, Harry didn't have an answer.

xxx

To be continued in Chapter Three: Powerful News


	4. Powerful News

Chapter Title: Powerful News

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 03 / ?

Chapter Setting: Sunday, August 8, 1995: 12 Grimmuld Place, London

Chapter Summary: Lunch at Grimmuld Place proves enlightening.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

Harry thought Stephen would've been moved on the next day, but there he was at luncheon sitting and studying The Daily Prophet while nibbling a fresh roll. Immediately Harry's animosity towards the man returned and he sank onto a chair three down, grabbing a roll and methodically shredding it.

"You don't like me," Stephen commented, his manner calm but those electric blue eyes haunted.

Tossing the desecrated roll to his plate, Harry glared at the too-thin Dursely-ish look a-like. "Yeah." He said. "You could say that." He clenched his fists, waiting for the questions, the indignation, the defense. What he got was:

"I'm sorry." Stephen's voice softened, his Scots burr deepening, and he looked down at his plate. "I heard about James and Lily last night."

"Last night?" Harry felt confusion push away his anger. "What do you mean last night? It's only been news for fourteen years now." Harry wondered just what this man was trying to pull.

Stephen looked up and nodded, golden curls bouncing. "Yes, I heard that, too, but I've been out of the wizarding community for going on twenty years now. Albus never once mentioned the killings," bitterness infused the man's voice.

Shock coursed through Harry and he shook his head, unable to believe that someone could have been ignorant of the rise and supposed fall of Voldemort. Before he could challenge Stephen's claims, or the idea that Dumbledore had deliberately kept him in the dark, Molly Weasley led the rest of the house's inhabitants into the vast kitchen, effectively shutting down the conversation: the Order was an off limits topic in front of Ginny.

When Ron saw what lay before Stephen he gave an exasperated glare at the man. Everyone there knew the Prophet had printed lies about Harry and Albus all summer. "Do you enjoy that paper then?"

Harry felt vindicated once more in his animosity, mentally thanking Ron for the reminder that Stephen wasn't one of them.

Looking up from his plate, Stephen glanced noncommittally at the paper then shrugged. "The paper's been printing garbage for years if I can judge by back issues Remus let me have."

With a loud 'humph,' Molly expressed her opinion of the paper's worth, but Stephen merely offered her a cherubic smile. "Look . . . Molly, right?"

Surprised, Molly straightened. "Oh dear, we never introduced you round did we, dear? Oh, well, better late than never." And as she passed out plates and soup bowls, Molly named off each teen. "These are my boys: Fred and George and . . ."

"George and Fred . . ." the twins corrected in unison.

Molly slapped lightly at the closest, Fred by Harry's estimation, and continued. "And Ron is mine . . . and Ginny. All Weasleys."

"Yeah," added George, "notice a theme?"

Stephen offered a smile once more. "Not afraid to speak your minds?"

That earned a laugh from the group and Molly slid a plate across the table. "Hermione Granger and this'll be Harry Potter." A bowl appeared on Harry's plate while he watched Stephen for his reaction.

Again Stephen did something Harry didn't expect. He grinned. "Well, that's a relief then."

"Excuse me?" asked Harry as even Molly looked surprised.

"Well," grinned Stephen, electric eyes seeming to light in unholy glee. "I'd have expected the Potters to produce a fighter and not the die-away milksop this lot want me to believe." He tapped the newssheet. "You've been fighting since I met you, probably a lot longer than that. Now you _channel_ that spirit and you'll be unstoppable."

Molly slammed the soup ladle against the huge pot and cleared her throat, reminding them that certain conversation was inappropriate. Stephen went on anyway as Sirius walked into the room accompanied by Remus.

"Look, these papers say Harry is a diva with a '_poor little me_' complex and possibly even Munchausen's Syndrome."

"What's that then?" Molly snatched the hated paper from Stephen and started desperately searching it.

"Munchausen's Syndrome is a muggle-diagnosed mental illness in which the patient hurts himself for attention." Stephen turned to Harry as protests of 'disgusting' and 'ludicrous' circulated around the table. "And they say Albus is little better than a dotty old grandfather type who needs diapers and spoon-feeding." The image that Stephen's words conjured had even Molly's lips twitching as she tossed the offensive paper back to the table.

"What they _don't_ say," Stephen added, "is just how anti-muggle sentiment had risen about thirty-eight percent since June." Nodding at the surprised and worried expressions, he continued "or how there have been infusions of money in some pockets while others are bleeding out."

"Huh?" Ron reached for the paper but Molly headed him off, grabbing it and folding it under her arm. "No Order business outside of Order meetings, Stephen." Her tone was icy.

With a shake of his curly head, Stephen continued in his patient tone. "It's not Order business, Molly. It's Harry's business."

Harry felt an unexpected surge of gratitude towards the man for his defense.

"It's everyone's business. What gets written in the paper?" he questioned.

"The news," spat Molly in disgust. She sloshed soup over the edge of George's bowl and nearly burned his hand but was so agitated she hadn't noticed.

Stephen stood and leaned over to slide the paper from the crook of Molly's elbow. "The paper doesn't print news or it would have printed just how Harry knew Voldemort is back." A gasp sounded from Molly. "The paper really prints what it's paid to print. Subscriptions don't count for half what a paper makes in costs. It's advertisements, investors, and backers that really write the stories. The reporters give the articles catchy words to draw interest and cloud reality, selling more papers."

Molly shook her head, ladle sloshing into the pot and sending Ginny ducking a wave of broth and cubed chicken. "Then why read it, Stephen?" the woman asked.

Stephen surprised them with a laugh which caused Sirius to screw his face painfully while Remus visibly paled. "Because we find out just what the backers want the people to believe. We can tell just who is controlling the press by what's printed." He tossed the current issue on the table and reached for an older one on a pile Harry hadn't noticed before. "For instance," Stephen gestured to the article Rita Skeeter had written about Harry during the Triwizard Tournament. "After knowing Hermione and Harry for half a day, I can tell immediately that this entire sob story about fainting continually and being over-turned for another boy is complete rot."

Molly flushed; she had fallen for that particular rot last term.

Grabbing another paper, Stephen checked the exposed article quickly then rolled his eyes in his round face. "And this even older one about how Sirius killed muggles and a wizard . . . Seriously?"

The twins snickered but Sirius lifted his dark head, studying the blond man through narrowed eyes.

"How could anyone who knows Sirius believe he'd kill a load of defenseless muggles?"

Leaning forward, testing Stephen's reactions, Harry asked "have you gotten to the one that tells you how he betrayed my parents and gave them up to Voldemort?"

"What!" Stephen jumped to his feet, rage and horror suddenly twisting his features. For an instant . . . just an instant . . . the man looked more like James Potter than Vernon Dursley. But the image was lost as Stephen shook his head violently, fingers toying rapidly with the woven wristband. "Sirius Black join Voldemort? Kill . . . James . . . Pot . . . "

Stephen began to laugh, an hysterical edge to the sound. He slipped into his seat and buried his face in his hands. Soon he was laughing so hard he was sobbing, his entire body shaking.

Everyone looked at one another, unsure how to react to this strange behavior. Sirius looked at Harry then instantly looked anywhere else, a flush creeping up his weathered face.

"Absolutely nutters," breathed Fred, a look of fascination on his pointed face.

"Yeah, positively," added George, equally enthralled.

Remus stepped over to the distraught man, as it had become apparent that Stephen's laughter had turned to grief. The werewolf helped the younger man to rise, slipping an arm around his shoulders, and guided him from the room.

After a long uncomfortable moment, Hermione cleared her throat. "This looks delicious, Mrs. Weasley. I love chicken and broccoli soup."

Everyone murmured overly hearty agreement and began to eat, but Harry had lost his appetite. Stephen reacted to the Potter deaths like he'd only just learned of them. With a guilty start, Harry recalled Stephen saying just such a thing before the others showed up. Had Dumbledore really been keeping news of Voldemort and the mass murders secret from Stephen while visiting on holidays? Harry felt sick to his stomach and pushed away his untouched soup. Just who were these people Dumbledore was calling out of hiding? Would they really be any help to the Order? Could they really bring about the downfall of the most evil wizard of the modern age?

Reviewing Stephen's emotional display, Harry had his doubts.

xxx

To be continued in Chapter Four: Dream Keeper


	5. Dream Keeper

Chapter Title: Dream Keeper

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 04 / ?

Chapter Setting: Wednesday, August 11, 1995: 12 Grimmuld Place, London

Chapter Summary: Information about a certain blue crystal.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

Over the next several days, Molly Weasley kept them all too busy cleaning to do much else. While Order members flitted in and out, some even staying for meals, no more information came Harry's way. And Molly carefully kept Stephen James by her side, preventing Harry from cornering him about anything Dumbledore might have passed on since recalling him.

On the third day, Harry came out of an upstairs bathroom when he caught the unmistakable baritone drawl of Severus Snape in the front hall. Scuttling back into the shadows, in case his least favorite professor chanced to look up, Harry tried to listen to whatever report the former Death Eater might be making.

"Harry, come along. Tonks is here to help with that ghoul," Molly called softly down the hall followed by the sound of a door shutting far below.

With a surge of disappointment, Harry shuffled his feet as he joined the group. As he stopped next to Ron, Harry noticed Stephen slip something of a midnight color into the pocket of his jeans. It left an odd roundish bulge against the man's thigh, but no one else seemed to wonder about it. Something familiar tickled Harry's mind and he knew he'd seen that ball somewhere before.

Stepping up next to Hermione, Harry waited until the three adults were busy with the ghoul before whispering, "'Mione? I need to know something."

She turned to him and nodded, all business. "What Harry?" Hermione loved to share her volumes of information.

Harry asked "have you ever seen a dark blue ball before? I mean one made of crystal and about the size of my fist?" He glanced over at the adults to make sure they were still busy.

Tonks repeatedly tried to bind the ghoul with magical ropes, accidentally shooting one straight at Stephen and briefly tangling his legs. Molly stepped continuously around to stay between the ghoul and the watching teens nearby, though Fred and George kept trying to jump into the fray to her annoyance. Once free of the ropes, Stephen snuck behind the ghoul, his grey jeans and dark purple _Black Sabbath_ shirt blending well in the gloom of the hallway which seemed to repel any attempt at light brighter than a feeble lumos spell.

"Yes," Hermoine's soft answer drew Harry's attention back to his question. "If it's what I think it is, it's really expensive and hard to make. I saw one at Rutger's Jewels and Magical Crystals Emporium."

"But what is it?" Harry asked "what's it do?" He wondered how a muggle science professor could afford something Hermione termed 'really expensive.'

Brushing a hand through her bushy tangle of hair, Hermione took a deep breath then let it out slowly. "Well, it's called a Dream Keeper." She turned her brown eyes on Harry. "It's kind of like a portable pensive, but it only holds a few memories. It's the crystal that makes it cost so much. They're hard to find and only goblins know how to mine them, so they have to be traded for don't they? In the goblin wars they were used to carry maps and other really important information because one has to have the proper combination of pass spells to unlock the secrets inside."

"Used in war for battle plans then?" Ron asked from right behind Harry, causing him to jump. "Useful that. Why, Harry, where'd you see one?"

Narrowing his eyes, Harry shrugged and thrust his hands in his pockets. "Stephen has one . . . and," a memory surfaced of a scarred man in a dark kitchen, "and Mr. Dunraven has one, too."

Hermione nodded. "Probably for the Order then. It might even be the same Dream Keeper crystal. They are terribly rare since the Great Sacking of the Goblin Horde in '78."

"What?" Ron's tone shifted to highly interested. "What Goblin Sacking in '76? Why'd I never hear of that?"

Exasperated, Hermione turned and looked over the lanky redhead. "Seventy _eight_," she enunciated. "Professor Binns mentioned it last term but never went into it. I looked it up in the school library. They _do_ have an entire section on wizarding history, Ron."

Harry snickered, drawing Molly's attention from the neatly bound ghoul. Pushing sweaty tendrils of red hair from her flushed face, she called "what's that, dear?" She shot sideways as the ghoul tried to snap it's body to escape then turned back to glance over Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

As always, Hermione thought quickly and called back "we're discussing school lessons, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh!" Ron's mother sounded surprised but didn't question Hermione's word. Rather she turned her full attention back to helping keep the ghoul under control as Tonks worked on fully incapacitating it.

Hermione turned back to the others. "We'll talk about this later Harry . . . Ron."

Harry and Ron nodded in agreement, though Ron looked worried as to just which part Hermione wanted to discuss: the crystal, the wars, or Ron's lack of historical knowledge.

xxx

Setting: Thursday, August 12, 1995: 12 Grimmuld Place

As the group congratulated Harry on successfully getting acquitted at his trial Sirius moved off to a corner of the large kitchen. The former prisoner had a forced cheer about him but everyone seemed aware of his darker mood.

Nearby Jonathan Dunraven stood talking quietly with Stephen and Remus, drawing a curious frown from Harry, who still wondered about that crystal he'd seen them with. What kind of information did the Order have on that ball? Did it concern the weapon Sirius accidentally mentioned that first night?

Pushing the thoughts away, Harry resumed celebrating his imminent return to Hogwarts and the life he loved. That afternoon dark, depressing Order business was hard to think about.

Arthur Weasley drew Sirius out of his corner and over to the other Order members saying "listen, Sirius, Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry . . ."

Harry frowned, his happiness fading at the reminder of the pale-haired Voldemort supporter. He concentrated hard on listening to the conversation but had difficulty as Ginny, Fred, and George were chanting noisily about Harry's victory. Half of what was said got blocked by the sing song words, and Harry felt a surge of frustration as Arthur claimed he needed to get back to work on a vomiting toilet. Jonathan offered to accompany him to the door.

As the pair left, Harry frowned and looked over Sirius and Remus. Without warning, Sirius threw a glare at Stephen talking in another corner with Hermione. The older man turned and stormed from the room without a word, Harry watching after him in puzzlement. Now what had Stephen done?

xxx

Continued in Chapter Five: The Order of the Phoenix


	6. The Order of the Phoenix

Chapter Title: The Order of the Phoenix

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 05 / ?

Chapter Setting: Tuesday, August 31, 1995: 12 Grimmuld Place, London

Chapter Summary: The last night before school and Harry discovers a secret or two about the Order.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

"Prefect . . . congratulations!" boomed Kingsley Shacklebolt in his distinguishable bass voice, patting Ron on the shoulder as he smiled politely at the red-haired boy.

Harry lifted his butterbeer to his lips and sipped, trying to drown his jealousy for Ron's distinction. A moment later the jealousy lifted as Sirius told Tonks "Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."

Remus made a comment about trying to control his friends but Harry's attention drifted to the twins with Mundungus. He joined that small group, inadvertently aiding the Weasley twins in acquiring an illegal substance at half price. Again Harry got distracted, this time by Shacklebolt questioning why Harry hadn't gotten prefect to combat the nasty rumors circulating. Ron's bragging about his new broom barely registered before Moody thrust a photograph at Harry.

"Original Order of the Phoenix," the former auror reported.

Interest sparked and Harry pushed away all the other conversations and distractions to take the old tattered photograph and study it. There stood at least three rows of smiling people, arms around one another, laughing, drinking, making side comments, and generally enjoying their photo shoot.

Moody began listing those in the front row and immediately Harry's curiosity turned to horror at the descriptions of death and torture those innocently smiling figures went through. The grizzled, mutilated ex-auror pointed to a couple standing just next to the doomed Longbottoms.

"There's Dunraven and his wife Willow."

The photographic Jonathan Dunraven wasn't scarred, and he was smiling at something his wife said across him to the woman on the other side. She straightened, long auburn curls swaying as she turned and slipped her arm through Alice Longbttom's.

Moody sighed. "She was attacked by Death Eaters in the park with her little girl. Lucky Dunraven showed up to meet her. He got the baby and ran for safety while those bastards ripped Willow to pieces behind him. The muggles reported that a lion had escaped from the zoo, but we know better. Within hours Dunraven was on a boat to the States." Moody grunted "didn't even stay to get that face wound tended. He's the last of his line, and his mother-in-law insisted he get her granddaughter out of Europe to a safe place. I hear he went to Salem and continued as an auror there, only they call it 'secret service'."

Harry put a hand to his stomach and searched the room for the tall solemn figure of Jonathan. The man was talking to Remus and Stephen, Sirius glaring at the pair with his old friend. Did Sirius know Dunraven's reasons for leaving? Harry had to assume he did; Sirius had been part of the Order from the start.

"And that's Emmeline Vance . . ." Moody interrupted Harry's thoughts, drawing the teen back to the picture. The man relayed more deaths and mutilations till he got to the third row and pointed out Sirius, short-haired and standing beside a rather pretty dark-haired witch in a form-fitting knee length dress. Her near black eyes were half-lidded and her hair looked like she'd only climbed out of bed five minutes before.

Swallowing at the inadvertent imagery, Harry startled when Moody's rusty laugh sounded.

"Yeah, she had that effect on everyone. That's Mary Elizabeth. She disappeared about a year before you were born, Harry." The tiny images of Sirius and Mary Elizabeth exchanged semi-hostile glares and the woman turned to speak to Lily on her other side.

"Disappeared?" Harry asked, wondering why Sirius hadn't liked the woman beside him. His answer came unexpectedly without prodding.

"Yeah. Some say she scarpered. Others say she got herself killed. There's even some, like Sirius, who're convinced she joined the other side." Moody bent closer to study the photograph more minutely, his magical eye swiveling to check out something on the far side of the room.

Shocked, Harry asked "joined Voldemort? Why?"

With a shrug, Moody straightened, his eye centering more or less on Harry once more. "She was dating Severus Snape and he was a Death Eater then." He pointed to the picture, "but that's what I thought you'd want to see, Harry."

Snape's girlfriend? Harry tried and couldn't imagine anyone dating Snape . . . especially someone as attractive as Mary Elizabeth. A Death Eater . . . when she had been in the Order of the Phoenix? Reluctantly, Harry turned his attention to the tiny images of his parents with Peter Pettigrew, the man who betrayed them to Voldemort . . . his parents' murderer.

Suddenly feeling sick, Harry stammered something about forgetting to pack for the next day's trip to school. He was relieved to escape, leaving Sirius checking out the photograph. Feeling nauseous at the many losses, the ignorant joy on those little faces, Harry headed for the door. He wanted nothing more than to leave the party and the upheavals of the day.

Unfortunately, he was stopped before he reached his goal. Stephen stepped up beside him and softly asked "what's Moody showing about? Looks like it's turned your stomach." Genuine concern weighed the Scot's accent. Stephen took Harry's arm and pulled him against the wall and down to sit on the floor.

Harry didn't protest. He merely said "picture of the Order." His voice sounded weak even to his own ears. "It's the stories he's telling about how the Death Eaters slaughtered them that's got me . . ." he didn't finish that thought, gulping back a sob as he said "and there he was sitting and smiling with them! And a couple years later he helped Voldemort kill them!"

Stephen surprised Harry by slipping an arm around the teen and squeezing his shoulders. "Yeah . . . real ass that one. Is he still around so I can have a go at him?"

Harry looked sharply at the man with the eyes as eerie a blue as Moody's magical one. "Do you even know who I'm talking about?" He wondered briefly if he should be mad at Stephen for pretending to have a clue but gave it up as stupid next to all those deaths.

"James and Lily . . ." Stephen's voice dropped even softer. "And whoever betrayed them since it couldn't be Sirius as I've heard." Turning fully to Harry, Stephen asked gently "it was Peter Pettigrew, wasn't it?"

Green eyes widening incredulously, Harry turned to look at Stephen's round face. "How'd you know? Who told you?"

Sighing, Stephen shook his head, voice bitter. "I should have told James what a bullying prat Peter was the first time he pushed me from my broom. I held back since James liked him so much, but I should have told him." Stephen slipped his face onto his bent arm, which rested on his knees.

Suddenly Harry felt an affinity for Stephen. It was like looking at Neville Longbottom . . . only blonder. "So, my dad didn't see him push you? Weren't you a second year when Dad graduated?"

"Yeah," Stephen lifted his face, voice still soft, sad. "I would have been wouldn't I? When I was first year, I visited the Quidditch pitch to watch James practice. He was a diva on a broom . . . a real show off." He smiled at Harry who smiled back.

This was more like it – not stories of death but stories of how they lived.

"James was in the air and Remus was off sick . . . he got sick a lot." The man looked over at the werewolf across the room. "Now I know why. Sirius was in the stands flirting with some girls. I decided to practice flying. You know, low to the ground. I wasn't very good because I don't like brooms much." The look of shock on Harry's face made Stephen laugh and correct himself, "yeah, I was petrified of them actually. So, Peter said he'd show me a trick where I wouldn't even feel the broom."

"Uh oh . . ." Harry could picture Draco Malfoy or even his own cousin Dudley Dursley saying something like that to a little first year.

Stephen nodded. "I took off with him on a broom beside me, and next I knew, I hit the ground. Peter apologized, said he bumped me by accident, but I'm not _that_ dumb." He sighed.

After a long moment of silence, each lost in his own thoughts, Stephen said "you know, I have a picture of your dad at school." He met Harry's surprised eyes and smiled. "Of course, we're all in costume. Mary Elizabeth started a Thespian Club her first year and bullied everyone she knew into joining. Nora and I even got to perform and we were mere 'ickle firsties'." He turned another smile on Harry but the smile dropped when he noticed the severe frown. "What?"

"Mary Elizabeth? Snape's old girlfriend?" Harry couldn't keep the disgust from his voice.

Confusion lit in Stephen's electric eyes. "Well, James was dating Lily so _she_ wasn't free."

"What!" Harry jumped to his feet, not sure if he was more horrified or disgusted by Stephen's comment.

Stephen pulled him back down and shushed him. "Sorry, shouldn't have said that, only everyone knew Severus and Lily were friends from first year."

Harry turned an incredulous look on the man. "They were friends?" He didn't think he believed Stephen.

"Yeah," Stephen responded with a smile. "Apparently they met before even James met her. On the train I think, maybe before. But there's nothing wrong with his dating Mary Elizabeth . . . it's not like anyone minded."

Still shocked, almost uncomprehending, Harry shook his head and said, "but Snape's a Death Eater . . . or he was before he switched to join the Order. Moody says _she_ probably switched to Voldemort's side."

Bringing a lean hand up, Stephen began toying with his wristband. "No . . . more likely she was killed." His voice was filled with regret. "Between her and Lily, I'm not surprised Severus would switch sides. Even as sixth years those girls could talk a body 'round to anything." He glanced around the room then back to the teen beside him. "Uh, Harry?" he sounded worried.

Harry looked at him with a frown. "What?"

Blue eyes met green and Stephen rushed to ask "you're familiar with some of the Order names, right?" A nod convinced Stephen to continue. "Then you might know what happened to Nora . . ."

"Hey, Harry, what're you doing sitting in the corner?" Ron interrupted the pair, carrying his brand new broom over to them.

Harry sighed and stood then turned to Stephen. "If she's not in the Order now, she probably died. I'm sorry, Stephen," and he was. The guy seemed lost.

Ron grimaced as he realized what kind of conversation he'd walked in on.

Rising slowly to his feet, a look of intense sorrow on his face, Stephen nodded. "Thanks, Harry." He smiled absently at Ron then seemed to shake himself. Touching the shiny scarlet and gold badge on the tall boy's chest, Stephen said "nice, Ron. I never got a chance at that. Means you've got a lot of responsibility now." He sighed and stretched his back while Ron proudly straightened.

The blond man looked towards the door next to them. "Well, I guess I should get some sleep. We've got a long train ride ahead of us."

Shock coursed through both boys and they stared incredulously at Stephen, almost unawares that Sirius and Remus approached.

"You're coming with us, Stephen?" Ron managed to ask.

Sirius sneered but Stephen smiled and nodded. "Yes. I'm to be an assistant professor to anyone who needs help . . . say if someone's out sick or called away."

"Oh, that _will_ be an adventure, Stevie!" Sirius growled out. "But hey, whatever will you do if it's the brooms teacher that's out?"

Stephen went pale and Harry felt shock at the cruel comment. It had been obvious over the last weeks that Sirius didn't approve of Stephen . . . maybe even disliked him, but Sirius had never shown outright cruelty before.

"Sirius, enough." Remus's voice sounded sharp and disapproving. "It's not Stevie's fault he was sent into hiding instead of the Order. He was far too young."

A low growl signaled Sirius' opinion on the matter and Stephen touched Remus's arm. "It's okay, Remus. Sirius lost his best friends. He has a right to his anger. Once we're ready for an open attack, who hid and who fought before won't be important."

"Don't you patronize me, _Stephen James_!" Sirius stressed the name as if it disgusted him. "Run along back to your muggle school. We don't need you fouling things up with your false support and your love of Slytherins! You should never have been a Gryffindor!"

Silence descended like a thunderclap at Sirius' loud tirade. Without a word, Stephen turned to the group at large and bowed low, his Scots burr slurring to near incomprehensibility in his heightened emotions. "Congratulations to the new prefects. Good night." And he turned smartly on his heel and strode quickly from the room.

Remus whirled on Sirius. "Well done, Sirius! You know Stevie lost his entire family, too. And he's only just found out practically everyone he expected to come home to is gone . . ."

"Don't you preach at me, Remus!" Sirius glared at his friend. "He should've stayed in hiding." Only Harry and Remus were close enough to hear as Sirius added "James would've wanted the kid to stay safe, not run into death head on."

The party never resumed its jolly atmosphere after Sirius' outburst and soon everyone left for their own homes or beds. Harry's mind raced as he settled down to sleep, but he had too many thoughts swirling around to allow him rest. Chief on his mind was the question as to whether Sirius acted nasty to Stephen because he hated the younger man . . . or cared for him. The confusing idea slid into the ever present dream of searching down a long dark corridor.

xxx

To be continued in Chapter Six: A Curious Journey


	7. A Curious Journey

Chapter Title: A Curious Journey

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 06 / ?

Chapter Setting: Wednesday, September 1, 1995: Hogwart's Express: London to Hogsmeade

Chapter Summary: Harry meets some future students with links to the past.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

In the confusion of boarding the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Ginny wound up losing sight of most of their party: the twins went off to find their friend Lee Jordan, and Ron and Hermione hurries to get their prefect instructions in the first carriage. Soon Harry and Ginny found themselves in the last carriage looking for a compartment that would hold them and any of their returning group. They practically stumbled over a chubby, round-faced boy with a large toad clasped in one hand. Accompanying Neville Longbottom was a girl with long dark auburn curls and gold-flecked brown eyes set in an oval face.

Harry felt a jolt. He knew that face . . . but where had he seen it?

Ginny called, "Hello, Neville, looking for a seat are you?"

Neville nodded. He glanced in the final compartment and muttered "can't find one. They're all full."

Glancing past the shy boy into the compartment, Ginny shook her head, "How about here? It's only Loony Lovegood and another boy."

"I don't want to interrupt anyone," Neville murmured then flushed furiously as the girl with him said "well, if your friend says we won't disturb the girl, I can vouch we won't be disturbing the boy. That's just Seth."

Her American accent triggered Harry's memory and he asked "you wouldn't be Manda Dunraven would you?"

She turned a friendly smile on Harry. "Sure I would." She opened the compartment door and asked "any seats left?" This was no first year girl; she had to be at least a fifth year!

Luna Lovegood, a blonde girl with a faraway look in her slightly protuberant eyes, looked up from her upside-down magazine and said, in a dreamy way, "yes." She began to read again.

The boy behind the other magazine never made an appearance. Rather he stretched out fully across the seat on his side of the compartment and turned a page slowly. "Not for you, Dunraven. Only good witches allowed in here."

Manda grinned and stepped in, reaching back to tug Neville after her. "Then I'll never find a seat." She sounded quite delighted. After stowing her trunk, Manda unceremoniously sat on the boy's waist, not allowing him to get out of the way. "Hmmm . . . seat's a bit lumpy . . ."

The boy remained behind his magazine despite her treatment. Turning another page he said "if you wiggle, I dump you in the aisle. And don't knock Xen. She's just settled." His tone sounded pleasant enough and his accent held a blend of the States and London.

Harry helped Ginny and Neville stow their trunks then sat next to the unknown 'Loony' Lovegood. Ginny and Neville sat beside him, Neville still clasping his toad. When all were reasonably settled, Manda still sitting on the boy she'd called 'Seth,' Ginny smiled at Harry.

"Harry, meet Luna Lovegood. She's a fourth year Ravenclaw."

Luna lowered her magazine to study Harry with unblinking eyes.

Clearing his throat, Neville said "and this is my cousin, Manda Dunraven. She's transferring from Salem in the States. Uh," Neville looked around then said "this is Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter."

The magazine Seth read slid quickly down and he stared intently at Harry with eyes so dark a brown they were nearly black. His long black hair had been pulled back in a queue and set off his pale features, making the boy appear extremely ill. A small cat, little larger than a kitten, had curled up on the boy's throat, its patchwork fur blending with the riot of colors in Seth's rainbow T-shirt.

Harry's stomach twisted as he looked at what could pass for a teenaged version of his least favorite professor. Suddenly, he felt he knew the answer to one riddle of the Order. He couldn't look away from that intensely curious expression. Manda's friendly voice cut across Harry's thoughts.

"And this is Seth Snape, also from Salem."

"Snape?" Neville squeaked, sitting back further in his seat as if he could escape this unlooked for hazard.

"Yeah, _Snape_," Seth responded sneering. He slid his legs off the bench as Manda lifted enough to let him. "But don't blame me for an accident of birth. I'd rather you just call me Seth." The boy reached up to steady the now waking cat, his eyes traveling around the room as he studied each occupant. Finally, his gaze locked with Harry's once more. Softly, Seth asked "any relation to a James Potter?"

Harry swallowed and Ginny and Neville made noises of protest in their throats. "Yeah," answered Harry, defiance in his tone, "my dad."

Seth blinked then nodded slowly, as if digesting that information, eyes never leaving Harry's. Finally, sounding much like a certain professor, he drawled "yes." Sitting back, he added "condolences on that. Mum's always talking 'bout James. Says you couldn't have wanted a better friend. Do anything for you and all."

Surprised, and a bit confused by the unexpected shift the conversation had taken, Harry swallowed and opened his mouth, unsure what he could say. When Seth leaned forward, Harry had to fight to keep still, reminding himself that the son was not the father. He fought the desire to squirm as the other boy studied him carefully finally settling on the scar.

"Brutal legacy, man. Hurt much or just a pain in the arse reminder of unhappy times?"

"Uh," Harry reached up and touched the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. The other boy's matter-of-fact tone threw him further off balance, but Harry decided to answer Seth in the same straight forward manner. Dropping his hand to his lap, he said "Hurts sometimes if Voldemort gets closer." Harry watched carefully for Seth's reaction, mildly surprised that neither American seemed afraid of the name . . . Harry wondered if that was a bad sign.

Seth nodded as if he knew exactly what Harry meant. "Well, I'll keep an eye on you then. The moment you ache, I'm hiding. Bloody coward, that's me." He reached for his magazine, a muggle production called _National Geographic_, and disappeared behind it again.

Manda rolled her eyes and snorted. "As if." She turned to Harry and smiled. "If Seth's your friend, he's true as steel. If he's your enemy, _you_ run and hide. There's no one nastier than Seth in a pissy mood."

Luna finally spoke up and said, "you're related to the Potions Master, Severus Snape."

Lowering the magazine once more, Seth studied Luna coldly as Neville gulped again. Finally, Seth said "yeah, I suppose so. Potions huh? Lovely." He didn't sound as if he thought his father teaching potions was lovely. He did seem to notice the uncomfortable air in the room. "So, he's not a popular teacher?"

Harry shrugged. "He knows his stuff," he found himself inexplicably defending the man then added, "but he's not very popular, no."

Seth sighed and stroked his small cat. "Mum says give him a chance. They're . . . " he grimaced and spat out "_divorced_."

"I never knew Snape was married," Ginny said in a hushed voice.

"Married?" Ron's voice from the door drew all attention. "Who'd marry a greasy git like Snape?"

A soft sound drew Harry's attention to Seth and he was surprised to see the other boy laughing quietly. "Greasy git . . ." Seth gasped.

"Ron," hissed Hermione behind the tall redhead. "Be nice. He is a professor." She shoved Ron between the shoulders to make him walk and followed him in, sitting next to Manda with a politely curious look on her face. "I don't think we've met yet, though I thought I knew most of the students already. I'm Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Prefect."

"And I'm starving," Ron added, reaching for one of Harry's chocolate frogs.

Manda grinned, the gold flecks in her dark eyes sparkling. "Hello, Hermione. Hello, Starving." Ron looked up as Luna started laughing. Manda added, "I'm Manda Dunraven and this is Seth . . ."

Ron interrupted, startled, "but you're not a first year at all!"

She grinned and flipped her long auburn curls to her back absently. "No, I'm to be in fifth year. I'm transferring from Salem High School."

"Transferring?" Hermione smiled widely. "I've heard of students transferring but it's quite rare. And I thought Malfoy had the only transfer. Won't he be angry? He's been lording it all over the train about his cousin coming in from Durmstrang this term."

Ginny prodded Ron across the compartment with her foot so he sank down on the bench next to Hermione. Turning a smile to the others, she said "well, his cousin's even less special because Seth's also a transfer from the States."

"Yeah . . . that'll serve the git. Thinks he owns the bloody place, he does," Ron muttered around his chocolate frog. He stared absently at the card with a puzzled from then shrugged and pocketed it.

Seth stroked Xen again and added in a low tone "sounds like a member, this Malfoy guy."

"Member?" Instantly on alert, Harry and the others stared at Seth, who nodded sagely. Manda merely grinned wickedly.

"Yeah, member," Seth said. He looked from one to another and added "of the Eye-Dee-Ten-Tea club." At their blank looks, he shook his head. "Never heard of it? Okay. You . . ." he reached over and tapped Ron.

"Ron Weasley," Ron supplied automatically.

Seth nodded. "Ron. Write this down using only initials and the number. Eye . . . Dee . . . Ten . . . Tea . . ." Seth crossed his arms, Xen curling onto his shoulder as he sat back to watch Ron.

For his part, Ron looked around for parchment and quill, muttering the name over and over. By the time Seth shook his hand and pushed an open parchment and other writing supplies forward, Hermione and Luna had already come to an understanding. Harry felt as if he knew, but wasn't sure he'd translated properly.

Thanks, Ron muttered and blinked as he read the parchment Seth had provided:

"My dearest darling Mum,

This school had not lived up to reputation. It is quite cramped and there seems to be absolutely not teaches in sight. Every few minutes an obscenely loud and piercing shrilling threatens to rip my spine from my body. I get the continual sensation of move . . . oh, wait . . . it's only the train. Never mind then.

I remain your ever loving Son of a Witch,

Seth"

"Uh," Ron looked up at the darker boy who grinned back.

"Go ahead. I'll tell her I didn't write the post script. Now, Eye Dee Ten Tea . . ."

With a shrug, Ron dipped the quill and wrote the initials and number: I D 10 T. "Hey!" he glared at Seth who grinned back.

"Well, he is rather stupid," Luna said and Ron flushed.

Seth shook his head. "So, am I right? Does this Malfoy guy belong to the club?"

Ron got the joke. He grinned, passing the parchment to Neville who hadn't mentally figured it out. "Yeah. I leading member."

Eventually the parchment made the rounds and wound up back in Seth's possession. He began to fold it. "Of course," Seth said, still smiling, "I may have a bit of explaining to do telling my mother why a prefect called her an idiot in my letter."

"What!" Ron's head snapped up and he reached for the parchment, but it had already disappeared into Seth's magazine.

Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and said "he's only teasing. Come on, Ron, we need to go make rounds." She turned to Manda and Seth and offered a smile. "It was lovely meeting you." She pulled a protesting Ron from the compartment.

Seth met Harry's eyes and his grin widened, eerie on that familiar seeming sallow face. "It's even funnier if you can get the actual member to write it out."

Harry grinned back, forgetting for a moment that Seth was the son of his least favorite professor.

"Harry," want to see what my Uncle Algie gave me for my birthday?" Neville sounded delighted so the jokes must have helped to reassure him that his cousin's friend was okay. The chubby-faced teen thrust his toad at Manda.

"Sure," Harry turned his attention to Neville and watches as he pulled a stunted, boil-covered cactus from his bags. Neville went on and on about the merits of his apparently rare plant before ending with a demonstration of its defense mechanisms. A quill to a tender spot resulted in stinksap covering every surface of the compartment and everyone in it. Seth and Luna had managed to hide behind their magazines through most of the onslaught, though the Ravenclaw girl's eyes peeked out in curiosity once the worst was over.

A small mew of displeasure issue from Xen behind Seth's barrier and he called out "Hey, no, Xen! Don't lick that up! We don't know if it's toxic!" The magazine hit his lap and Seth started trying to scrape the disgusting black substance from the cat's fur.

"Oh," Neville hurried to say, tone miserable, "it's not toxic. It's just . . ."

The compartment door slid open and there stood Cho Chang, the fourth year Ravenclaw seeker. Abject horror crossed her features as she took in the sight of an entire compartment filled with stinksap.

"Uh," said Harry, suddenly wishing he was with a lot cooler crowd, "hi, Cho."

"Harry?" Cho muttered and backed up with a squeal as a large glob of stinksap fell from the ceiling directly onto Harry's head. "Uh, gotta go," Cho added in a rush and backed out, letting the door slam.

Ginny pulled out her wand and sighed then cleaned up the entire mess. "Sorry, Harry. If you'd like to go after her . . ."

"No, uh . . . no," Harry rushed to say. He looked at the guilty expression on Neville's face and the curiosity on Luna's. Straightening, pushing away his embarrassment, he said, "no. It's good."

Ginny flashed him a grin and reached over to touch the little patchwork cat. "Is Xen okay? Did I miss any?"

Seth lifted the small creature, turned her this way and that, even upside down, then settled her back on his shoulder with two long strokes down her back. "All good," he echoed Harry. The cat mewed in disagreement but hurriedly began eating the treats that appeared in Seth's pale hand. "That stuff could be useful, Neville. Don't let Manda near it."

Manda snorted and handed the struggling Trevor back to her cousin. "That's an interesting magazine, Luna. Does it circulate in America?" Her comment drew everyone's attention to the copy of the _Quibbler_ the girl still held upside down.

Luna offered it to the darker girl. "Not yet." Her voice sounded dreamy and faraway. "That's one of the long term goals."

Now the words were right side up, Harry could see that one of the articles concerned Sirius Black. Curiously, he asked, "may I see it?" Luna nodded and let Harry take the magazine as Ron and Hermione came back into the compartment.

"I swear I can't wait to catch those Slytherins doing something wrong. I'll slap punishment on them so quick their heads'll explode!"

"Ron!" Hermione protested. "You're not to abuse your authority."

Ron snorted, pushed the _Quibbler_ down with two fingers to glance at what Harry was reading, then turned back to Hermione. "I'm only gonna punish 'em for what they're doing wrong. I'll just get 'em _before_ they do it."

"Members of the club then?" Seth asked as he offered his own magazine to Luna for perusal. She was busy staring unblinkingly at Ron and took it absently.

Ron nodded, looking askance at Luna. He turned back to Seth. "Biggest members. All of 'em Malfoy's flunkies. And I know just what punishments to give 'em too. I'll set Goyle to writing lines . . . he hates writing." Ron changes his voice to a slow, confused rumble and mimicked writing in the air. "I . . . must . . . not . . . look . . . like . . . a . . . baboon's . . . backside."

The shrill, loud laughter that broke from Luna sent the owls screeching in their cages, Crookshanks into a luggage rack, and Xen down Seth's shirt, tiny claws marks leaving a bloody trail behind on his pale flesh

"Ow!" screamed Seth, but Luna was too busy laughing to hear, repeating the words "baboon's backside" as she wiped at her eyes.

Ron looked at her as if she'd gone totally round the bend. Trying to change the focus, Ron turned to watch Harry finish reading the article about Sirius Black being a singer in a rock band. "Anything good, Harry?" he asked.

"Of course not," Hermione said, disgustedly. "Everyone knows they only print complete rubbish."

"As opposed to the _Daily Prophet_?" Manda challenged.

Luna stopped laughing as quickly as she had begun. Her face set in disapproving, cold lines, she thrust out her hand. "I'll have it back now."

Harry handed it back as Hermione said, "the articles are worse than the _Prophet_. No one would believe that . . ."

"My father's the editor," Luna added in that same cold manner and disappeared behind her copy, once more reading upside down.

"Oh . . . uh . . ." Hermione flushed and tried to find something to say to mend things with the odd Ravenclaw girl, but nothing came to mind. Rather she said, "I _did_ meet Malfoy's cousin last rounds, though."

That drew most of the attention and Neville practically whispered "what's he like?"

"_She_," Hermione stressed, "was actually quite pleasant. I found her looking lost in the corridor and offered to help her, introducing myself naturally. She told me her name was Emily and she couldn't find her compartment. I offered to look, but Malfoy showed up and threatened me if I continued to '_mess_' with his cousin." Hermione shrugged. "I left them alone at that. She looked a lot like the family and seems to be in Ginny's year."

"It was probably a set up so Malfoy could ring a peal over you." Ron grunted. He turned to the small pile of remaining sweets and asked "anything to eat left? I'm starving."

"So you've said before." Manda stood slowly with a grin for Ron's double-take. She smoothed her hands down her slacks. 'So what's this Malfoy look like so I know to avoid him? She asked with a nonchalant air.

Seth snorted and finally extracted the cat from inside his shirt. "She wants to meet him so she can threaten him." He looked up, brown eyes dancing. "I feel bad for this Malfoy character. Manda's a horror when she's got her stride."

"Humph," Manda glared at Seth then smiled. "No such thing. My father's the new Assistant Caretaker so I'm going to go check up on him and see how he's holding up." Before she could be stopped, the auburn-haired girl left the compartment.

Neville sighed. "And Uncle Jonathan said I'm to keep an eye on her." He looked glumly at the others.

Seth laughed. "Good luck. No one can keep that hurricane still." The thin, sallow-skinned boy stood and stretched, the cat on his shoulder once more. Seth looked like he'd missed numerous meals, his clothes handing from his frame almost as much as Dudley's rejects hung on Harry.

Luna's voice rose up, reading Seth's colorful T-Shirt. "Don't make me get the flying monkeys." She looked up at him, keen interest in her large eyes. "You have flying monkeys?"

Seth looked at her incredulously then shook his head with a grimace. "Nah. I let Elphaba have 'em." The boy disappeared into the bathroom at that and Luna settled down to puzzle his cryptic remark through.

Harry immediately leaned over towards Ron and Hermione and whispered, "That's Seth Snape."

"Seth . . . Snape?" Ron choked on the mint floss he's just shoved into his mouth.

Hermione looked towards the bathroom. "Any relation?"

"Yes," Ginny jumped in from beside Harry. "But he doesn't seem to like the idea much. His parents are divorced."

"Oh," Hermione looked at Ron, finally understanding the conversation they'd interrupted some time ago. "So he's been in America this entire time?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded then leaned back as the bathroom door opened and Seth strode out. He looked over the watching group and sighed. "What?" his tone sounded defensive and the closed look on his face made the resemblance to his father even more pronounced. "Might as well out with it. I'm used to playing least popular guy in the crowd." Bitterness crept into the boy's voice as he slid into his window seat.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Neville exchanged guilt looks, but Luna answered "they don't like Professor Snape, your father."

"That arse?" Seth seethed, startling everyone there. "Look," he leaned forward, eyes hard, voice a low near-growl, "my dad divorced my mum when she was pregnant with me. He never answered her owls. As far as I care, I have no father! So judge me at least on my own . . ."

The compartment door slid open, interrupting Seth and revealing another unpopular school personage: Draco Malfoy.

The pale blond looked over the group and curled his lip. "Getting awfully noisy in here, Potter. I may have to punish you lot."

Seth whirled around and snarled "just you try." His manner and voice exactly matched that of his father and Draco did a double-take. Shocked, he backed up then collected himself once more and sneered.

"Just a warning, Potter. I _am_ a prefect."

"And so am I, Malfoy," Ron stood, inadvertently providing backing to Seth. "We're having a private discussion and you aren't invited. So shove off." He clenched his fists as he glared at the pale, blond boy.

Glaring back, eyeing the room, Malfoy backed into the corridor, knocking into Manda. He surprised everyone with his quick reflexes, years of seeker training had paid off, and he twisted to catch the girl before she could fall. "Sorry," he said without looking. Letting Manda's arms go, he threw another glare into the compartment then strode down the hall, Crabbe and Goyle pushing past Manda to follow.

Slowly, Manda turned to smile deviously into the compartment. "Oh, he _is_ cute."

"Yeah, and he's an arse," Seth snarled flinging himself into his seat.

She looked at her long-time friend then nodded. "Then I'm going to have to corrupt him, aren't I?" and with that odd, and not very promising proclamation, Manda threw herself into the seat next to Seth and picked up his magazine.

The others blinked at the pair in shock while Luna once again began reading her copy of the _Quibbler_.

Silence descended.

Much later, as the train began its final turn, Ron and Hermione left to go rejoin the other prefects up front. Ginny, Luna, and Manda headed into the bathroom to change into their school clothes, while Harry, Neville, and Seth changed in the compartment.

Trying to break the strained mood that had reigned for the past hour, Harry cleared his throat. "I wonder which house you'll be in, Seth?"

"House?" Seth turned a puzzled look on Harry, no sign of his earlier anger evident. "Won't I be staying in a dorm?"

"Yeah, houses are dorms," Harry began to knot his red and gold tie, watching as Seth worked a plain grey one. "The students are sorted into four dorms who are like your team for the entire time you're in Hogwarts."

Seth rolled his dark eyes. "Great, I'll probably wind up with that dickhead with my luck."

Neville choked at Seth's language, but Harry grinned. "Oh, you can ask the Hat to put you somewhere else. It's worth a try."

"Hat?" Seth frowned and gave up on his tie. "What hat?"

The girls came back into the main compartment and, without comment, Manda moved to stand in front of Seth and began fixing his tie for him.

"The Sorting Hat," Harry replied, watching Manda with mild surprise. "Though I'm not sure if transfers get sorted by hat, actually. We've never had a transfer while I've been there."

Thoughtfully, Seth scooped up his cat and eased her into a small, cloth cat carrier. She immediately set up a protest but he ignored her, offering an absent smile of gratitude to Manda as she backed off. "So," Seth asked "is there any special team I should pray for?"

"Yeah," Harry slipped a hand to Seth's shoulder, making a snap decision. "Pray for Gryffindor. That's the house I'm in."

"Seth met his eyes and grinned back, their former animosity forgotten once more.

"Or you could try for Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw or Slytherin," Luna intoned. "Those are the houses. You have to be really intelligent to get into Ravenclaw. Only the smartest get in."

"So no members of the club then?" Seth asked and the group laughed, finally everyone relaxing.

Manda collected a box with holes in it then turned and asked "and what gets you into the other houses?"

"The Hat will tell you," Neville piped up. He shifted Trevor to a more secure grip. "Gryffindor's courage, Slytherin . . . ambition . . . and Hufflepuff's hard work."

Laughing, Manda shrugged. "Then Seth'll get sent home."

Seth grinned back. "Isn't that the idea?"

The train halted at the platform, sending the small group lurching into one another amid laughter.

xxx

To be continued in Chapter Seven: Rocking the Boat


	8. Rocking the Boat

Chapter Title: Rocking the Boat

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 07 / ?

Chapter Setting: Wednesday, September 1, 1995: Hogsmeade Train Platform and Hogwarts Lake

Chapter Summary: The trip to Hogwarts

Note: Since we know what went on in the carriages, here's a different approach.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

Once on the Hogsmeade platform, Harry eagerly looked around for Hagrid, one of his first friends in the wizarding world. Frowning, he strained to try and see the overly large form as a feminine voice called "First years and transfers please come to me. First years and transfers over here." Whirling, Harry frowned at the form of Professor Grubbly-Plank performing one of Hagrid's standard duties.

From directly behind Harry's shoulder, Seth breathed "why's she want us over there?"

Ginny smiled at his worried tone. "First years go to the school by boat. I guess transfers do, too. That's a treat."

"Boat?" Seth squeaked, glancing at the cloudy sky. "Uh, I'll pass." He turned and started climbing back into the train but Manda grabbed his arm, stopping him.

She pushed Seth towards the still calling professor. "I won't let you fall in," she said, sounding as if she addressed a small child. Glancing at the others, Manda smiled ruefully. "Seth can't swim." The pair disappeared into the crowd of first years, though Manda and Seth towered above those around them.

They were joined by a tony, delicate looking blonde girl with a narrow face, her pale hair up in two braids and pinned around her head. She was nodding absently as Draco Malfoy whispered instructions in her ear. The girl, Emily, finally rolled her eyes, put a small hand directly on her cousin's chest, and said in a clear voice, "Yes, Draco. Now go or you'll miss your carriage."

"Or we could let Seth take your place and you can ride with me . . . us." Manda smiled at Draco.

Startled, Draco stepped back once then shook his head. "No . . . uh . . ." Manda's flirtatious manner threw the arrogant bully off balance. Clearing his throat he looked at Emily, who barely stood taller than the first years, though her confident manner and developing body gave away her greater age. "I'll be saving a spot at the Slytherin table then. He rushed off to join Pansy Parkinson near the long lone of carriages on the road. She yanked on his arm, demanding to know who the auburn-haired girl was and why Draco had been talking to her.

"Slytherin . . ." Manda smiled, mischief in her eyes. She turned to a rather nervous Seth. "Do I strike you as particularly ambitious?"

He turned a blank, slightly panicked look on her and she rolled her eyes. Taking his arm to help him into a boat next to an Indian boy about their age, she said "oh, never mind."

The Indian boy looked from Manda to Seth, absently offering a helping hand to the petite Malfoy girl. He said nothing but slid closer to Seth as Emily settled. Laying a steady fine-boned hand on a trembling arm, the unknown boy slipped his wand from his pocket and hid it behind his back.

As the boats shoved off the dock, Seth whimpered, eyes squeezing shut. The other boy leaned closer, careful not to rock the boat, and began whispering in the American's ear, using a foreign language which sounded almost liquid. After a few minutes, Seth turned his attention on the stranger, concentrating on the soothing sounds he couldn't translate. Their eyes met and locked while the other boy flicked his wand carefully behind his back, still speaking softly in that odd, melodic language.

Smiling, Manda nodded in approval as the boy cast the calming charm on Seth to ease his fear. His actions also let Manda know that one did not have to cast spells in the English Magical language; there were other magical languages apparently. "Clever, that," she whispered to Emily next to her.

Emily looked up from perusing the water in fascination. She kept her voice equally quiet and asked "what's clever?"

Manda turned to look at the petite girl. "Charming Seth so he forgets his fear of drowning. Now if he could do that when Seth needs to go up a tower for astronomy classes, things would be real smooth."

Emily looked over at the boys and nodded. "Maybe the professor should have thought of it. I'll say something to my Head of House when I get one." She smiled up at Manda. "It's important to keep open communication with your guardians."

"Uh . . ." Manda blinked in confusion, "Yeah . . ." she said, drawing the word out, then looked over the moving water, the wind in her hair. She loved stormy nights. Next to her Emily chuckled softly.

After a few minutes where only the unknown boy's soft, melodic voice broke the stillness, Emily turned back to Manda. "Hello," she smiled. "I'm Emily Malfoy . . . yes, Lucius Malfoy _is_ my uncle. And you are?" Emily held out her hand.

Manda looked at the hand then took it. "Manda Dunraven. My father's Assistant Caretaker . . . you know . . . glorified janitor." She smiled wickedly. "And I'm going to corrupt your cousin Draco."

A delighted laugh broke from Emily. "Perfect. I'll help if I can." She leaned closer. "He can be such an arrogant git at times, but I adore him."

Softly, from the front of the boat, the Indian's voice came back to them between soothing charms. "Dmitri Depati." He then began a rhythmic spell once more.

Manda turned to Emily and said "and that's Seth Snape."

"Snape?" Emily curiously turned to look at the extremely pale boy. "Draco's favorite professor is a Snape."

"Yeah, Seth's father from what we've gathered," Manda laughed. "He's potions teacher?"

Emily nodded. "Yes, but I think Draco likes him better because he picks on some of the students. I think I'll reserve justice."

Another few minutes passed in near silence as the girls looked around at the night-dark lake and the cloudy skies, the rough waters rocking the boat with every fresh wave. Finally, the flitter of lights at the school appeared and Seth eagerly locked eyes on the beaconing flickers.

A soft bump against the stone dock sent Seth clutching the sides of the boat with a whimper. Dmitri stood and carefully exited the boat then turned and offered a hand to steady Seth. Seth clasped the other boy's hand thankfully and pulled himself up to the dock. He immediately scuttled away from the water's edge then flushing at his display of fear, smoothed down his black robes over his gray slacks and jumper. Manda helped Emily out and followed her to the dock.

Unfortunately, someone jostled against Dmitri in the crowd, knocking the older boy into the icy cold water. A mad scramble ensued and Dmitri was pulled from the water and wrapped in a blanket by Professor Grubbly-Plank who kept shaking her gray head and muttering.

Finally, she cleared her throat with a loud 'harumph' that drew all attention. "At the tip of these stairs Professor McGonagall will line you up and lead you into the Great Hall. There you will be tested as to which House you will be in for the rest of your school life. Good luck, students." And the woman turned and led the group of forty-odd students up the damp stone steps and into a wide corridor.

A tall witch dressed in green robes, Professor McGonagall looked down at her charges and waited until they nervously fell silent. Finally, in her strong Scot's burr, she said "Welcome to Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Dmitri sneezed. Everyone turned to stare at him and a light flush appeared over his caramel-colored skin. "Excuse me, please."

"Whatever happened to you?" McGonagall asked, her tone a cross between surprised and offended.

Flushing brighter and sneezing once more, Dmitri said "I fell off the dock, Professor."

"Oh, good heavens!" she responded then went on with her speech, stopping every time the boy sneezed. At the end of the minor ordeal, she sighed. "I'm afraid you'll be reporting to Hospital as soon as you are sorted." She shook her head. "What is your name? We'll move you to the front."

"Dmitri Depati, Professor," he replied sneezing again. "I'm sorry, Professor, I usually only sneeze if I eat Calamari."

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll thank you to refrain from swimming with one in future, Depati. A great squid resides in the lake."

"Oh," Dmitri sneezed twice.

Shaking her head, McGonagall said "line up and get ready to enter. I'll meet you inside." She slipped through a small door to the side.

xxx

To be continued in Chapter Eight: Sorting through Confusion


	9. Sorting through Confusion

Chapter Title: Sorting through Confusion

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 08 / ?

Chapter Setting: Wednesday, September 1, 1995: Hogwarts Dining Hall

Chapter Summary: This Sorting is unlike any Harry has ever attended before.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

xxx

Harry frowned as Professor Minerva McGonagall slipped into the room and went to speak to Professor Dumbledore rather than lead the new students in. Next to Dumbledore, the small, squat Dolores Umbridge from Harry's trial listened intently to whatever McGonagall said. Finally, Dumbledore nodded and McGonagall moved off to speak quietly to Madame Pomfrey, the extremely capable school healer.

A surge of fear shot through Harry. What had happened? Had someone gotten hurt? Had the first years been attacked? He turned to Hermione and Ron but both watched the clear space in front of the main table, so Harry sighed and turned back.

McGonagall moved to the cleared area and placed the traditional stool there. She faced the great doors as they swung open and two lines of students nervously marched down the center aisle, and occasional muffled sneeze punctuated their steps.

Once again, Harry turned to frown at his friends who looked just as puzzled as he felt. Neville gulped, Adam's apple bobbing.

Finally, when the first years and transfers were lined up before the raised teachers' table, McGonagall placed the ragged Sorting Hat on the stool and stepped back. It began to sing. The song sounded a warning unlike the songs of previous years Harry had heard. When it fell silent, McGonagall stepped forward, a long parchment in one hand. She lifted the Hat and called, without looking at the scroll, "Depati, Dmitri."

Extremely wet, though without the blanket, the tall teenager of Indian descent strode forward, covering a sneeze in one elbow.

Harry looked at the others. "Maybe the transfers are sorted first?" he asked then looked back up at the drenched boy.

Dmitri sat on the stool and McGonagall carefully placed the hat on his head. A few seconds passed. Suddenly the hat called out a name just as Dmitri sneezed loudly. Eyes watering, he looked apologetically up at the startled Professor while the hat, in a rather affronted, choked voice, repeated "Hufflepuff!"

Rather than hurrying to join his new house, Dmitri stood and turned to greet Madame Pomfrey, who led him from the room.

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks.

McGonagall opened the list and read off "Ambercrombie, Euan."

A small first year student hurried over to slip onto the stool, fear evident in his young face. The hat seemed to still be offended by having its first announcement covered with a sneeze because it spoke again in that same strangled tone. "Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuff table, having recovered from the shock of the ill transfer student applauded and welcomed the boy into their midst.

Three more students were sorted into Hufflepuff and confused whispers began among the tables of the remaining three classes. McGonagall had a sour look on her face as she placed the hat on "Dunraven, Amanda."

The hat called out "Hufflepuff!"

Neville applauded but looked disappointed that his cousin hadn't gotten Gryffindor.

Harry looked over to Professor Dumbledore to see his reaction, but the headmaster didn't meet his eyes. Rather, Dumbledore leaned down to listen to some comment Umbridge made next to him. Frowning, Harry turned his attention back to the hat and the next boy it sorted, unbelievably again into Hufflepuff.

"Oh, I cannot believe this," Hermione whispered. "It calls for equality then purposefully sorts everyone into the same House? That won't sit well."

Ron looked surprised. "It can do that? I mean ignore where everyone's supposed to go and put them all in Hufflepuff?"

With a frown, Neville glanced to the slowly filling table of yellow and black clad students. "Apparently it can," he whispered as another girl was sorted to Hufflepuff . . . and still no one for any other house.

Half the students had been sorted, all into the one House, when McGonagall cleared her throat and said "Malfoy, Emiliana."

A grin spread across Draco Malfoy's pinched face as his cousin smiled and practically bounced over to the stool. She sat neatly, smoothing her skirt, and turned her smile up to McGonagall as the professor lowered the hat onto Emily's pale blonde braids. Without pause, practically before the hat lowered, it screamed out "Hufflepuff!"

Sporadic applause rippled through the room and pure horror crossed Draco's features. Emily stood, still smiling, and began on her way to join all the other new students. Silence descended though when Dumbledore rose to his feet and lifted his hands. Emily froze directly in front of Slytherin table.

"That will be quite enough." Dumbledore said clearly. "You've had your little amusement, Peeves, now leave the Great Hall, please."

The short fat poltergeist in the fez flew out of the hat with a loud delighted cackle. Shock coursed over the room as Peeves swooped past a series of candles, knocking them over and giggling wildly as Professor Vector sprang forward to catch the dropping missiles with a flick of her wand. The doors flew open and Peeves soared out, doors slamming behind him.

Silence fell and everyone turned to Dumbledore for instruction. He smiled and calmly said, "as much as I admire Hufflepuff house, I believe a proper Sorting is in order. If you would call back our newest students, Professor McGonagall . . ."

McGonagall coughed lightly and turned. "All of those sorted today please return to the front. Hurry now."

Hermione leaned forward with a fierce frown. "I think Peeves is getting out of control. Interrupting the Sorting is . . . well . . . wrong." She glared back to the doors as if the poltergeist could feel her animosity through the solid wood.

Ron groaned, stomach growling quite audibly. "We've gotta go through the entire Sorting again?"

Turning her glare on Ron, Hermione hissed "well, we don't want _Peeves_ to sort them do we?"

"No," he agreed reluctantly eyeing the number of students re-gathering in front of the teachers' table once more.

McGonagall cleared her throat and the hall fell silent. Lifting her scroll she called "Ambercrombie . . ."

The first year boy hurried over before she'd finished speaking and slipped onto the stool. This time the hat called "Gryffindor" and, relieved, the entire Hall erupted into applause for the flustered boy. McGonagall proceeded; the Sorting went along well with all four Houses getting a fair share of students this time. At the name "Depati, Dmitri," the Transfiguration Professor merely sighed and muttered "hospital wing." She then read "Dunraven, Amanda."

Manda strode forward confidently once more, throwing a smile towards the back of the room where Jonathan Dunraven stood next to the aged, rumpled figure of Argus Filch, the school's caretaker. Sitting on the stool, Manda calmly nodded when the hat screamed "Slytherin!"

Neville groaned and buried his face in his hands. "I knew she'd get in trouble . . ." he moaned.

Surprised, Harry glanced back and saw Jonathan merely nod once in silent acceptance of his daughter's new assignment. Harry looked towards the front table where he caught sight of Severus Snape smiling in a rather smug way and making a comment to Professor Sinistra next to him. Feeling uneasy, Harry looked back to the group of new students. He politely applauded as a boy legitimately got sorted into Hufflepuff, but the look on Draco Malfoy's face as Manda slid into the seat next to him was almost priceless. For some reason Harry didn't understand, the Slytherin prefect flushed and hurriedly started talking to Pansy Parkinson, as if in self-defense. Manda merely smiled at the pair beside her.

Soon it became Emily Malfoy's turn once more and she smiled as Draco's look turned confident once more. He looked confident in the result of this Sorting's outcome. As the hat sank onto those pale braids once more, Draco mouthed the word "Slytherin," and the hat came back, loud and clear, with "Hufflepuff!"

Stunned whispers scattered across the room at a Malfoy going to any House but Slytherin. Ernie Macmillian, the Hufflepuff prefect, nervously led the applause greeting the transfer student as she brightly smiled and plunked down in an empty seat at the Hufflepuff table.

Harry felt a bubble of delight. He might not know the small girl, but Draco was certainly unhappy about the sorting. Harry grinned at Hermione who nodded back as if she'd known that was coming.

Beside them Ron groaned "half done . . . hurry up . . ." Hermione glared at him and he took to grumbling under his breath instead.

When McGonagall intoned "Snape, Seth" the room fell immediately silent, stunned by the name. She turned to briefly look at the head table. Harry had been watching the Potions Master for his reaction and was rewarded when he saw a look of anguish cross Snape's face quickly hidden under a mask of polite interest.

Seth ignored the stares and whispers, the surprised then smug looks of the Slytherins, and strode to the stool. Shoulders back, a look of defiance on his face making his resemblance to his father all the more pronounced, Seth sat on the edge of the stool.

McGonagall placed the hat on his head and it took a long moment before intoning "Ravenclaw!" Shock once again crossed over the room while Seth politely handed the hat back then moved past the Gryffindor table to claim his seat with his new House. He winked at Harry as he passed, a wicked grin on his sallow face.

Harry couldn't resist a grin back. As he was still applauding Seth, Harry turned and glanced towards the head table and was surprised to see a thoughtful look on Severus Snape's face as the man stared directly at him. Harry stopped applauding, shifting his eyes to Dumbledore, but the headmaster seemed intent on Umbridge's comment.

The rest of the sorting passes in a blur for Harry, finally ending with "Zeller, Rose" going to Hufflepuff.

Ron groaned. "Finally . . ." he sighed and looked expectantly at Professor Dumbledore as the man bade them eat.

As she cut her chops, Hermione frowned past Harry. Nodding her chin to the head table, she asked "Who's that then?"

Harry looked up, eyes starting at the far left with Professors Vector, Sinistra, and Snape, then travelling across Professor Grubbly-Plank, in Hagrid's normal spot, sitting beside Professor Flitwick. Mildly surprised though he knew he shouldn't be, Harry saw Stephen sitting on Flitwick's other side, next to Professor Sprout. Then came Professor Dumbledore next to the Umbridge woman then the Ancient Runes teacher, Professor Babbling. Madame Pince and Madame Hooch sat talking to each other next to the empty chair of Madame Pomfrey, school healer. Finally, at the far end, before the empty chairs reserved for Filch, Dunraven, and Professor Trelawney, who rarely joined the school for meals, sat a witch with half-closed eyes and sleep-mussed black hair. A jolt tore through Harry upon recognizing her and he whispered "Mary Elizabeth."

Hermione pursed her lips and looked over the long table of staff. She shook her head but let the thought stand unspoken, content for the moment to eat and wait for her answers. She wasn't disappointed.

The meal ended eventually with Dumbledore standing for the announcements he always made at the beginning of term. One of the things he mentioned drew attention to the head table like no other could.

"And this term we are privileged to have several new staff members. First please welcome our new Assistant Professor who will be aiding our current staff with classes and research. Professor James." Dumbledore smiled and turned slightly, but didn't look at the chubby-faced blond with the electric blue eyes.

Stephen stood briefly so the students and other staff might identify him, but he sank back into his chair quickly.

Dumbledore nodded. "And to aid Mr. Filch in his care taking duties, Mr. Dunraven." Dumbledore allowed the students to glance back at the tall scarred man as he continued with a reminder that the list of forbidden items was posted on Filch's office door.

With a smile and a gentle cough, Dumbledore drew the attention of everyone back to the front. "Professor . . . uh . . . Snape will be teaching Magical Theory and aiding Professor Binns with History of Magic classes." He gestured to the sleepy-eyed witch rather than the well-known Potions Professor. Confusion and surprise buzzed around the room and Dumbledore nodded, adding "I am sure you will have no trouble telling our two professors apart."

Finally, he turned and smiled down at the woman directly beside him then looked back at the students. "And last, but certainly not least, please welcome Professor Umbridge who will be taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts classes this term."

He opened his mouth to continue his announcements but a small 'hem hem' interrupted, to the surprise of everyone else. No one interrupted the headmaster. But Delores Umbridge had, and she stood to make a long repetitive speech about change and restriction.

When the students were finally released to find their beds, conversation rose to an all time high.

xxx

To be continued in Chapter Nine: Monday from Hell


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